Sleeve_Me_Alone

I am in the US, but I chose to travel to Mexico for my surgery. Medical Tourism all over the world is VERY common and if you do your research and choose a reputable facility with fully qualified surgeons, your outcome will likely be identical to having the procedure done in your home country. There are good and bad surgeons anywhere, so ultimately, WHERE you do it is far less relevant than WHO you do it with. It sounds like you are well informed and have made a decision based on the sum of your knowledge.

I am in the US, but I chose to travel to Mexico for my surgery. Medical Tourism all over the world is VERY common and if you do your research and choose a reputable facility with fully qualified surgeons, your outcome will likely be identical to having the procedure done in your home country. There are good and bad surgeons anywhere, so ultimately, WHERE you do it is far less relevant than WHO you do it with. It sounds like you are well informed and have made a decision based on the sum of your knowledge.

Yep, I totally get it. I've been using Baritastic just because its what my surgeon recommended and its nice that you can pick and choose goals - I have a Protein goal but nothing else. Its definitely not as comprehensive as MFP, but for me its enough to get the job done. The hunger thing is hit or miss. I completely lost it the first 6 months and now I feel it somedays more than others, somedays not at all. I can't seem to find any rhyme or reason to it, but because its so unreliable, I still rely heavily on eating on a schedule, hitting my Fluid and protein, etc.
Maybe try moving more towards intuitive eating/not tracking for a month and compare your results? Take lots of notes - how do you feel, how is your hunger, how are you sleeping, any other symptoms or changes, and so on.... then reevaluate and go from there? It never hurts to try!

First of all, take a deep breath. This is incredibly hard work and you are doing a great job.
Statistically speaking, people who are obese and have been for a significant period of time, only have about a 5% success rate of losing the weight and keeping it off long term. The reality is, obesity is an incredibly hard thing to overcome, and for most of us, surgery is the tool we need to succeed. That, in addition to counseling to heal my relationship with food and my body, has been absolutely life changing.
It sounds like you have done your homework about medications, surgery, and other treatments. You've come to a soundly investigated decision based on what is best for YOU. You are doing the mental and emotional work to set yourself up for long term success and wellbeing.
As for those around you who are naysayers - they do not live in your mind or body and have no right to opine on either. Frankly, folks who have never lived through a life of obesity and disordered eating simply cannot understand it or truly empathize. My husband is the MOST supportive human on the planet and has been my biggest cheerleader through every diet, exercise program, and finally surgery. Truly, he is a gift to me. BUT, he is rail thin and always has been. He openly acknowledges that he cannot understand a life with obesity and because he can't, he has trusted me to make the right decisions for myself and supports me unconditionally without reservation or opinion. If the people in your life cannot see their own bias and acknowledge that they cannot support you without their own opinions clouding things, then maybe they should not be allowed the space to speak into your life. You can love them, but they don't deserve the right to give you their opinions.
Only you can decide what is right for you and it sounds like you already have. Trust that. You got this.

I am in the US, but I chose to travel to Mexico for my surgery. Medical Tourism all over the world is VERY common and if you do your research and choose a reputable facility with fully qualified surgeons, your outcome will likely be identical to having the procedure done in your home country. There are good and bad surgeons anywhere, so ultimately, WHERE you do it is far less relevant than WHO you do it with. It sounds like you are well informed and have made a decision based on the sum of your knowledge.

First of all, take a deep breath. This is incredibly hard work and you are doing a great job.
Statistically speaking, people who are obese and have been for a significant period of time, only have about a 5% success rate of losing the weight and keeping it off long term. The reality is, obesity is an incredibly hard thing to overcome, and for most of us, surgery is the tool we need to succeed. That, in addition to counseling to heal my relationship with food and my body, has been absolutely life changing.
It sounds like you have done your homework about medications, surgery, and other treatments. You've come to a soundly investigated decision based on what is best for YOU. You are doing the mental and emotional work to set yourself up for long term success and wellbeing.
As for those around you who are naysayers - they do not live in your mind or body and have no right to opine on either. Frankly, folks who have never lived through a life of obesity and disordered eating simply cannot understand it or truly empathize. My husband is the MOST supportive human on the planet and has been my biggest cheerleader through every diet, exercise program, and finally surgery. Truly, he is a gift to me. BUT, he is rail thin and always has been. He openly acknowledges that he cannot understand a life with obesity and because he can't, he has trusted me to make the right decisions for myself and supports me unconditionally without reservation or opinion. If the people in your life cannot see their own bias and acknowledge that they cannot support you without their own opinions clouding things, then maybe they should not be allowed the space to speak into your life. You can love them, but they don't deserve the right to give you their opinions.
Only you can decide what is right for you and it sounds like you already have. Trust that. You got this.

Personally, I cannot eat intuitively. At least not yet. First of all, I still don't always feel "hunger" (8 months post-VSG) and secondly, I know that I have some disordered/emotional eating habits that still need some work. My hope is that over time, tracking combined with surgery will get me there. But for now, I track everything I eat as a way of holding myself accountable. I don't have a calorie goal or limit, and I never restrict myself from eating based on the numbers, but it helps me be mindful and thoughtful about what I'm eating and how much. It also helps me make better food choices to be aware of how much Protein I've had or when I might be lacking. I agree with others, that I had surgery to be able to live and not diet the rest of my life, but I also understand that I have a SUPER unhealthy relationship with food that will take time and effort to heal. For me for right now, tracking is one of the tools I'm using to help heal that relationship, but I'm hopeful it won't be necessary forever.

First of all, take a deep breath. This is incredibly hard work and you are doing a great job.
Statistically speaking, people who are obese and have been for a significant period of time, only have about a 5% success rate of losing the weight and keeping it off long term. The reality is, obesity is an incredibly hard thing to overcome, and for most of us, surgery is the tool we need to succeed. That, in addition to counseling to heal my relationship with food and my body, has been absolutely life changing.
It sounds like you have done your homework about medications, surgery, and other treatments. You've come to a soundly investigated decision based on what is best for YOU. You are doing the mental and emotional work to set yourself up for long term success and wellbeing.
As for those around you who are naysayers - they do not live in your mind or body and have no right to opine on either. Frankly, folks who have never lived through a life of obesity and disordered eating simply cannot understand it or truly empathize. My husband is the MOST supportive human on the planet and has been my biggest cheerleader through every diet, exercise program, and finally surgery. Truly, he is a gift to me. BUT, he is rail thin and always has been. He openly acknowledges that he cannot understand a life with obesity and because he can't, he has trusted me to make the right decisions for myself and supports me unconditionally without reservation or opinion. If the people in your life cannot see their own bias and acknowledge that they cannot support you without their own opinions clouding things, then maybe they should not be allowed the space to speak into your life. You can love them, but they don't deserve the right to give you their opinions.
Only you can decide what is right for you and it sounds like you already have. Trust that. You got this.

First of all, take a deep breath. This is incredibly hard work and you are doing a great job.
Statistically speaking, people who are obese and have been for a significant period of time, only have about a 5% success rate of losing the weight and keeping it off long term. The reality is, obesity is an incredibly hard thing to overcome, and for most of us, surgery is the tool we need to succeed. That, in addition to counseling to heal my relationship with food and my body, has been absolutely life changing.
It sounds like you have done your homework about medications, surgery, and other treatments. You've come to a soundly investigated decision based on what is best for YOU. You are doing the mental and emotional work to set yourself up for long term success and wellbeing.
As for those around you who are naysayers - they do not live in your mind or body and have no right to opine on either. Frankly, folks who have never lived through a life of obesity and disordered eating simply cannot understand it or truly empathize. My husband is the MOST supportive human on the planet and has been my biggest cheerleader through every diet, exercise program, and finally surgery. Truly, he is a gift to me. BUT, he is rail thin and always has been. He openly acknowledges that he cannot understand a life with obesity and because he can't, he has trusted me to make the right decisions for myself and supports me unconditionally without reservation or opinion. If the people in your life cannot see their own bias and acknowledge that they cannot support you without their own opinions clouding things, then maybe they should not be allowed the space to speak into your life. You can love them, but they don't deserve the right to give you their opinions.
Only you can decide what is right for you and it sounds like you already have. Trust that. You got this.

Personally, I cannot eat intuitively. At least not yet. First of all, I still don't always feel "hunger" (8 months post-VSG) and secondly, I know that I have some disordered/emotional eating habits that still need some work. My hope is that over time, tracking combined with surgery will get me there. But for now, I track everything I eat as a way of holding myself accountable. I don't have a calorie goal or limit, and I never restrict myself from eating based on the numbers, but it helps me be mindful and thoughtful about what I'm eating and how much. It also helps me make better food choices to be aware of how much Protein I've had or when I might be lacking. I agree with others, that I had surgery to be able to live and not diet the rest of my life, but I also understand that I have a SUPER unhealthy relationship with food that will take time and effort to heal. For me for right now, tracking is one of the tools I'm using to help heal that relationship, but I'm hopeful it won't be necessary forever.

I had idiopathic tachycardia (meaning my heart rate was unusually high for no known reason) for years prior to WLS. My average resting heart rate, was between 90-100bpm, and very often even higher than that. I'm now 8 months post-op and my heart rate has slowly come down to about 70bpm. Similarly, my doctor is not at all concerned and seems to think its an indicator of improved health, so I honestly don't worry about it too much. If you start to have odd symptoms (lethargy, dizziness, shortness of breath, or anything else unexplainable) definitely check in with your Dr again.

Personally, I cannot eat intuitively. At least not yet. First of all, I still don't always feel "hunger" (8 months post-VSG) and secondly, I know that I have some disordered/emotional eating habits that still need some work. My hope is that over time, tracking combined with surgery will get me there. But for now, I track everything I eat as a way of holding myself accountable. I don't have a calorie goal or limit, and I never restrict myself from eating based on the numbers, but it helps me be mindful and thoughtful about what I'm eating and how much. It also helps me make better food choices to be aware of how much Protein I've had or when I might be lacking. I agree with others, that I had surgery to be able to live and not diet the rest of my life, but I also understand that I have a SUPER unhealthy relationship with food that will take time and effort to heal. For me for right now, tracking is one of the tools I'm using to help heal that relationship, but I'm hopeful it won't be necessary forever.

I had idiopathic tachycardia (meaning my heart rate was unusually high for no known reason) for years prior to WLS. My average resting heart rate, was between 90-100bpm, and very often even higher than that. I'm now 8 months post-op and my heart rate has slowly come down to about 70bpm. Similarly, my doctor is not at all concerned and seems to think its an indicator of improved health, so I honestly don't worry about it too much. If you start to have odd symptoms (lethargy, dizziness, shortness of breath, or anything else unexplainable) definitely check in with your Dr again.

Congrats and welcome! I also had surgery in Mexico (9/21/21) and had a wonderful experience! As others have said - trust the process - don't compare your journey to others - give yourself LOTS of grace and patience. All very valid, valuable pieces of advice. I would also add, find some community! Either here, or if your surgeon has a group of some kind, or some other place (I'm a member of BariNation and freaking LOVE it). Finding a support system is SO important. This is a life long process, you will be a bariatric patient for the rest of your life, so preparing your heart, mind, and body are really important. If you aren't already, maybe consider getting into some counseling to help with the mental & emotional pieces as well. It can be overwhelming at first, but YOU GOT THIS!

It is massively variable from person to person. My hair started thinning right at the 3 month post-op mark. I'm almost 6 months out now and it has slowed down some, but definitely has not stopped. I don't have any bald spots, but the thinning is VERY noticeable to me, but my family says its not visible to them. You can't control it, you can only do your very best to take care of yourself, heal well, and make sure you get adequate nutrition to prevent nutritional Hair loss on top of the telogen effluvium.

I know many people really like Baritastic, but I have more than 12 years of data on MFP and I am comfortable using it, so I don't want to change...
I think I'm going to track calories this week to see if I can lose the 2 lbs I gained on my trip and then see from there.

Yep, I totally get it. I've been using Baritastic just because its what my surgeon recommended and its nice that you can pick and choose goals - I have a Protein goal but nothing else. Its definitely not as comprehensive as MFP, but for me its enough to get the job done. The hunger thing is hit or miss. I completely lost it the first 6 months and now I feel it somedays more than others, somedays not at all. I can't seem to find any rhyme or reason to it, but because its so unreliable, I still rely heavily on eating on a schedule, hitting my Fluid and protein, etc.
Maybe try moving more towards intuitive eating/not tracking for a month and compare your results? Take lots of notes - how do you feel, how is your hunger, how are you sleeping, any other symptoms or changes, and so on.... then reevaluate and go from there? It never hurts to try!

Personally, I cannot eat intuitively. At least not yet. First of all, I still don't always feel "hunger" (8 months post-VSG) and secondly, I know that I have some disordered/emotional eating habits that still need some work. My hope is that over time, tracking combined with surgery will get me there. But for now, I track everything I eat as a way of holding myself accountable. I don't have a calorie goal or limit, and I never restrict myself from eating based on the numbers, but it helps me be mindful and thoughtful about what I'm eating and how much. It also helps me make better food choices to be aware of how much Protein I've had or when I might be lacking. I agree with others, that I had surgery to be able to live and not diet the rest of my life, but I also understand that I have a SUPER unhealthy relationship with food that will take time and effort to heal. For me for right now, tracking is one of the tools I'm using to help heal that relationship, but I'm hopeful it won't be necessary forever.

It is a big decision & many people question if they are doing the right thing. May be continue with the process a little longer as you will find out more information. Also do a lot of reading from reputable sources. (Lots of information here too of course.) I was lucky I had a friend who’d had the surgery a year earlier so she was a font of information & experience.
Yes, the first couple of months after the surgery can be difficult. You are literally relearning how to eat. In fact the initial stages after the surgery when your diet is quite restricted to support your healing is much like how a baby is introduced to solid food: liquids, purées, soft food then solid. You’ll be working at breaking habits, cravings, addictions (sugar, salt,) & any emotional dependencies on food you’ve likely had for years or your entire life. But honestly, it does get much easier.
You’ll never go back to eating exactly the same way as you did before but that is how you ended up with a weight problem. Many do eat some of their old favourites BUT they eat them rarely & in small portions. Or they eat healthier variations of the food. My sleeve doesn’t limit me or restrict me from doing anything I enjoy or want to do.

All the best what ever you choose to do.

It is massively variable from person to person. My hair started thinning right at the 3 month post-op mark. I'm almost 6 months out now and it has slowed down some, but definitely has not stopped. I don't have any bald spots, but the thinning is VERY noticeable to me, but my family says its not visible to them. You can't control it, you can only do your very best to take care of yourself, heal well, and make sure you get adequate nutrition to prevent nutritional Hair loss on top of the telogen effluvium.

I had surgery in in Sept. 2021 and have started to have hunger come back. I'm really having to focus on eating regularly, listening to my body, and fight of the urge to graze/binge. This is the work of WLS; the surgery itself only does so much. But what you are feeling is completely normal and nothing to be afraid of. Just time to roll up your sleeves and keep doing the work!

I'm pre-op still and can only speak from personal experience, but I think this is very common. There is a lot of shame and stigma attached to WLS, all of which is completely unnecessary. The idea that it is a last resort and that patients have "failed" at all other attempts prior to WLS, makes it seem like it is somehow a copout. But that really is not the truth. It is a tool, just like diets and pills and fasts and everything else and there is NO shame in putting another tool in your toolbelt to help you be healthy and well. (I'm of course not comparing WLS to these other methods, just explaining that they are all "tools" and should not carry inherent shame.) All that being said, you did what you needed to do for your won health and well being. Its completely ok and completely normal to question it, especially so early on. But give yourself lots of grace and be patient. It WILL get better and you ARE worth it.

I think this is very common! I am almost 8 months out and I know in my head my body has changed drastically, but sometimes I have a very hard time seeing it. I have found that looking at pictures side by side helps, taking measurements helps, and comparing some of my old pants to current ones can help, too. Sometimes, when its really bad, TOUCHING my body can help. This is a well established therapeutic grounding technique, so it helps get me out of my own head, but it also just makes the change very visceral. My body FEELS different. And sometimes I just need to FEEL the changes with my own two hands for it to feel real. Like, I can wrap my fingers around my writs and doing that feels very concrete, which forces my brain to acknowledge the changes. Its hard sometimes for our brains to catch up, but hang in there! You will see it!

I think this is very common! I am almost 8 months out and I know in my head my body has changed drastically, but sometimes I have a very hard time seeing it. I have found that looking at pictures side by side helps, taking measurements helps, and comparing some of my old pants to current ones can help, too. Sometimes, when its really bad, TOUCHING my body can help. This is a well established therapeutic grounding technique, so it helps get me out of my own head, but it also just makes the change very visceral. My body FEELS different. And sometimes I just need to FEEL the changes with my own two hands for it to feel real. Like, I can wrap my fingers around my writs and doing that feels very concrete, which forces my brain to acknowledge the changes. Its hard sometimes for our brains to catch up, but hang in there! You will see it!

I'm just about 8 months post-op and I've just started to notice a "hungry" feeling starting to return. Until now, I didn't ever really feel physical hunger until it was too late and I would get dizzy, nauseated, and very weak if I went too long without eating. It didn't take me long to realize I needed to eat on a schedule, as I couldn't trust my body to tell me when to eat anymore! But, I absolutely had head hunger, and still do. There are times I WANT to eat, or I WANT to feel being "full" again. But therapy and LOTS of internal work has helped me manage that. I'm not perfect by any means, but I have learned to listen to those feelings, sit with them, and work through them instead of giving in and seeking food for comfort.
Some people lose the hunger feelings, some don't. What's most important is that you learn to listen to your body, fuel it well, and learn to eat in a way that honors your journey and aligns to your goals. If you find that you want to eat just to eat, eat more than you can comfortably, etc. then definitely look into some counseling or other strategies for learning how to manage emotional eating, etc. The surgery is just a tool, it can't do the head work or you!